Barrie Summy: brooke taylor

In the last two days, I've met FIVE of my classmates from the Class of 2k8! Life is very excellent.

WEDNESDAY: Oklahoma roadtrip with PJ Hoover, debut middle grade author of The Emerald Tablet. Also along for the ride is Child #4 (who's escaping from a house with a throwing-up cousin to hang out with authors and an author's kids). What can I tell you about PJ? High energy. Helpful. Entertaining. The type of girlfriend you def invite to your slumber party because she'll keep it all lively.

We stay with Stacy Nyikos, hostess extraordinaire and debut middle grade author of Dragon Wishes. She is ultra generous. With her exquisite guac. And her strawberry margaritas that defy description. And her oodles of info on school visits and public speaking. And her incredible organizational skills. Thank you, Stacy.

Jenny Meyerhoff, debut middle grade author of Third Grade Baby, flies in to chill with us. Jenny is sincere and thoughtful. She makes you think. I'm guessing if you have Jenny as a friend, you have a friend for life. Plus, she has stupendous black leather boots.

Jenny, PJ, Stacy with strawberry margaritas

THURSDAY: Jenny, PJ, Stacy and yours truly do a panel at Encyclo-Media, the annual librarian-educator event in Oklahoma City.

Are you sitting down? Take a look at the next photo.

THERE WERE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150!!!) PEOPLE AT OUR PANEL! That is THREE HUNDRED eyeballs.

Luckily, this was an extremely nice and welcoming mob who loved all four of us. I bet they ask us back next year.

I couldn't help but notice this crowd had a sophisticated sense of humor. They laughed at all my jokes.

AND seemed genuinely interested in meeting Sherry come December 9th.

Does my heart look like it's hammering a million beats a minute like I'm on the elliptical at the gym?

Then....that evening...

I met up with the amazingly creative Brooke Taylor, author of Undone, and another member from the Class of 2k8.

There are many many things I liked about Brooke. She's witty, fun, smart, loves to talk books, drinks diet coke AND she's way shorter than me. It's not often I tower over someone, and I enjoyed the experience. Yes, yes, I insisted we stand up for the picture. Just messing with you, Brooke. I LOVED having dinner together.

EVEN THOUGH you requested an interview with KELLY Couric (Katie's trashy twin) and NOT me. So, that's down the pike, folks. An interview with Brooke by Kelly and a giveaway of Undone. It'll be after Kelly reads the book so she can ask pertinent questions. (snort)

Quite the day! (well-deserved yawn)